CRITICISM ON STATE CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 122, 17 February 1926, Page 15

CRITICISM ON STATE CONTROL

Sir, —We are greatly rejoiced to hear that new rolling stock for passenger traffic has been ordered for trains on the main lines of this country. It does great credit to our new Minister of Railways that he has straight away begun improvements which have been long needed, I am not the only one who has curtailed to the uttermost the number of their journeys, because of the discomforts and actual danger of the insanitary arrangements on the trains. It is riot luxury that we want, such as hot and cold water in each sleeping compartment, which 1 notice is one of the treats promised, hut we do need a clean, tidv little, dressing room, with sufficient water for washing for each passenger during the journey between Auckland and Wellington. We also greatly need a proper sanitary system. The” present poisonous arrangement is responsible for much sickness. 'The existing sleeping carriages would i do quite well if belter managed. The present dressing room-would be all right if it were not always filled with

large bags of soiled linen, and if there were any water to be got in the basin; also the electric bells would do if they could be induced to ring. I travelled down from Auckland on January 14 by the night Limited, hav-. ing been refused, as usual, a berth in a two-berthed compartment, though I applied more than a week previously for rt, so I found my reserved berth in a four-roomed; that would have been all right had the train been full, but I soon found we were the* only passengers, the other' compartments_•> being empty the whole way, and this fourroomed, full compartinent was nearest to the aforesaid poisonous lavatory, so the door into the corridor had to be kept tightly closed all night. The following week a friend travelled dowpin the same dreadful compartment, with the addition of two unfortunate children, and all six were closely shut in while the three next compartments were emptv, with the exception of the attendant, who was thus able to tstrctch himself comfortably and alone in a iwo-bcrthcd compartment. Now why inflict all this unnecessary liscomfort on passengers who have paid 12s. tid. extra on first-class fares ? Is it wonderful that on each occasion there were three emptv compartments? Would anyone without some special reason ever engage a berth, and is it likely that any of the victims will ever waste their money on such luxury again? In the morning it was impossible even to wash our hands, though we were each provided with a large rough bath towel. The tap (if there was one) could not be seen by reason of the aforesaid soiled linen bags, and why should the bed linen be all thrown' into the corridor to be trampled on while ,the beds are being hidden away again? It would he quite as easy to place it directly in a bag or basket carried round. These are things which will be quite as uncomfortable in the new carriages unless more commonsense is brought to bear. The attendant should be empowered to alter berth numbers when there are so few passengers, and a cleanlv, tidv mind would greatlv help. The old carriages would _do perfectly well for a considerable time if £lO were spent on sanitation. I often wonder if the Ministers’ wives ever have to. travel in this select sleeping carriages. If they did I do not expect it would need an obscure traveller to make its peculiarities known. There is one other point we hope to find remedied in the new carriages, and that is that tlie beds will be more considerate for the hip bones, which ache intolerably after ten minutes’ lying down; also that there will be sufficient head room to allow of sitting up as an niternative. Thanking you for the space von have allowed mv criticism of State control,—l am, etc., "COMMONSENSE,” February 15, 1926.